Sewage leak's potential impact on lagoon: 1.3M gallons
It was one of several such breaks to occur in a 1.1-mile stretch where 20-year-old PVC pipe was used in the sewer line.
County workers early Wednesday repaired a leaking sewer force main in Indian Harbour Beach, but not before about 750,000 gallons of sewage seeped into the ground.
In addition, about 578,000 gallons of sewage was discharged into the nearby Oars and Paddles Canal, according to county spokesman Don Walker.
The leak into the ground and the discharge into the canal -— a total of 1.33 million gallons of sewage — both have the potential to affect the Indian River Lagoon, according to Brevard County Natural Resources Management Department Director Virginia Barker.
Sewage contains nutrients that can feed harmful algae blooms, as well as pathogens that can cause gastrointestinal and other illnesses.
Tuesday's sewer line break occurred in the 1800 block of South Patrick Drive, near Banana River Drive, in Indian Harbour Beach.
While the leak was a serious one, Barker said, in the grand scheme of things, its impact on the lagoon is not huge.
Barker said, if you equate the lagoon's current pollution problem to a $100 bill, the impact from this leak is the equivalent of adding less than 2 cents to the problem.
Beachside sewage leak repaired; normal water usage OK'd
It also could have been worse without the efforts by the county to recover sewage.
Walker said about 651,000 gallons of sewage was recovered from the sewer lines and lift stations by vacuum trucks, then hauled on tanker trucks to a sewage treatment facility in Viera for processing.
Additionally, about 210,000 gallons of sewage was discharged into a pond near Sea Park Elementary School, where it is being contained. That sewage then will be transported to a treatment facility.
The leak from a 24-inch-wide force main began around 8 a.m. Tuesday, and repairs were completed about 2:15 a.m. Wednesday, Walker said.
It was one of several such breaks to occur in a 1.1-mile stretch where 20-year-old PVC pipe was used in the sewer line. Plans are underway to replace that section of pipe with something more durable.
Beachside residents impacted by the break on Tuesday have been advised that they may resume normal water usage.
After the leak was discovered, county officials asked residents in the affected beachside areas between Pineda and Eau Gallie causeways to refrain from washing clothes, and taking showers or baths, as well as to limit toilet flushing as much as possible, to reduce the amount of water that went down their drains — and potentially through the broken force main.
Those restrictions were lifted Wednesday morning.
Contact Berman at 321-242-3649 or dberman@floridatoday.com, on Twitter at @bydaveberman and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/dave.berman.54